I'm tired of stressing my #2 chain stakes when i pull them and the welded s hooks break. I use the regular super stakes for anchors. I'm fixing to go to #5 machine chain for my chain stakes to try and eliminate this problem. What would be best to use as a connector from chain to stake end? Welded lap links or what? Thanks.

I use a standard S hook on #2 chain and weld the ends and J hooks. To reduce the stress on the welds I use my auger and drill down along the chain before using my puller. Always check your chains, welds and J hooks before setting and after pulling.

Are you a welder? I cut the chain, threaded the broken link through the earth anchor, and then welded the cut piece back on. I’m not much of a welder so this was a pretty big chore for me. Now I just use 1/8” cable and use my truck to pull. I’ll have to replace it every two or three years, but that’s better for me than having to question whether or not my welds will hold when pulling with the truck

Get a drill and auger and as stated, drill down next to the chain and they come up by hand.
I see you’re in SWGA as am I. I only drive anchors in “good dirt” that I know I can get them back. Clay areas get drags. If I “have” to anchor in clay I only go down about 6-8” max, never had a coyote or anything else pull an anchor yet. Luckily we don’t deal with freeze thaw, but we do deal with wet or baked clay, lol. Baked clay is basically cement for our Northern friends.
What county are you in?

I stopped using/buying #2 machine chain for chain stakes....#3 or bigger now. I do have more #2 chain stakes to use up.
I have had too many links break when pulling.

Curious what y’all are pulling with to break links? I tried using a 4 wheeler before getting a drill and stood it up on end!!

I like a heavy duty 9/16 split washer welded shut for the anchor fastener..... #3 -#5 stake chain is the berries....#5 if you use your pick-up or SxS to pull, IMO.

And how far are y’all beating the anchors in?? Do you feel resistance when hammering? When you have to get down on it with the hammer, QUIT lol! Y’all giving coyotes superpowers thinking they can pull something up and y’all are breaking links trying to pull. Just because there’s 12-18” of chain doesn’t mean all 12-18” has to go in the deck.

Since i never trapped when the ground was totally frozen I just carried my shovel and loosened the ground as deep as my shovel went easily pulled cable stakes unless they hooked or went thru something

Haha!! You bring up a great point. A super steak through a root is not coming up, lol. I had wet ground and meant I was getting a stake back. I dug down and found about a 3” diameter root I’d split. 2 hours later with an ax and a hole big enough for a septic tank, I got that stake back!! It was then I learned when that hammering gets tough, it’s good enough, lol!!!

I would have several every year break while driving them in. Sometimes you would see the chain stop moving while driving and knew they broke. while others I would pull up and set the stake and catch coyotes but when I went to pull them to move I would drill down beside them and pop them out by hand and then they would fall apart. Or I would carry them back to the truck and when I got there I would see the stake missing and I would look and it would fall off while I was carrying them.

A link would spread apart just enough that while it was in the ground they would hold ( held several coyotes like that). But once out of the ground the link would fall through the spread section. Luckily I never lost a trap from that.

I too went to #3 chain and it didn’t happen near as much. I think the damage is done more from driving them in than pulling. They are already partially broke when you go to pull them.

I then went full circle back to 1/8” cable and swaged ferrules and never had a failure. Also realized the cable stakes drive in easier and come out easier. I thought chain was so much better than cable when I first went from cable to chain but after going back I realized the cable stakes are better.

This is why I stayed with cable and didnt switch to chain. Cable is just easier to cut when a stake decides it doesnt want to come out of the ground.

Cables only last so long down here before they rust and break, chain seems to be infinite so far. Everything y’all mentioned above happened with cable, that’s why I went with chain, lol.

Sometimes the old way was the better way....I'm officially back to rebar

How do you get 18-24” of rebar out of cement? And how many a day can you pound in?

Switch to stainless.

Much easier than you get a superstake out. Pair of vise grips, turn/rotate, then pull out with puller

I trap clay conditions just like you as well as very rocky conditions. I can go through the best super stake driver on the planet in a days time, just ask those here that make them

Pounding rebar in is super easy. 24" long 3/8" masonry bit on the hammer drill. Drill your pilot hole and drive the stake in. Done. If they get bent, even better, gives them more holding capacity

I trap in Lee and Terrell mostly.

I use my winch on my sxs but I've used a puller that's about 7 foot long and that was too much work. lol

Ok…same conditions most likely. I’m in Worth Co. 6-8” in this clay will hold anything you can catch. And always pull after a rain!!!
I was skeptical of drags at first, but they will really hold in broomsedge. I always prehook when I can and most just wrap themselves up around whatever it’s hooked to. Only time I had anything go any distance was a bobcat in open small pines with very little brush. It only made it 50yds or so before the drag caught and held.